Escape by Brad Magnarella

Author:Brad Magnarella [Magnarella, Brad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: metaphysical fiction, Fantasy Series, hero's journey, quest, quest for meaning, metaphysical, search for meaning, allegory, Myth, journey, metaphysical journey, fairy tale, Fantasy
Published: 2014-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

When Iliff awoke, it was still dark, though parts of the canopy were beginning to separate from the graying sky. The fire had gone to ashes. Cold dew dampened the ground around him, but the cloak kept him warm.

He sat up and looked about. The sack of treasures was still in the brush, but Troll was nowhere to be seen. Nothing stirred.

Something crashed off to Iliff’s right, startling him. A deep exclamation followed. Moments later, Troll leapt over the fallen tree with something large and hairy clutched at arm’s length. The animal writhed and hissed and snapped its pointed snout. Troll looked from the animal to Iliff and laughed a stone-filled laugh. Iliff had never heard him laugh before.

“Been hunting it the better part of the night.” Troll’s panted breaths fogged the air. “Almost got away from me there at the end. Had to—”

The animal kicked and twisted from Troll’s grasp; it dropped onto all fours and dashed beneath one of the logs. Troll made a move to go after it, but then cursed and landed on the ground beside Iliff. They listened to it scamper off through the brush.

“Should’ve twisted its sorry neck when I had the chance,” he muttered. He turned to Iliff then and seemed to brighten a bit. “You were right,” he said. “This place is full of life, and even more at night. But I didn’t do very good at finding food, I’m afraid.”

Troll turned out the front pocket of his trousers, and a number of foul-smelling things spilled to the ground. Troll raked them into a pile with his fingers. In the dimness, Iliff could just make out the loathsome creatures, some with scales, some with hair and many legs, some with leather wings—all with their heads crushed.

“I found ’em beneath the fallen trees,” he said. “Caught ’em by surprise. It’s not much, but it’s breakfast anyway.”

Iliff watched one of the creatures flex a leg. “Oh… well, there’s still a bit of bread left,” he said. “I’ll have that. You go ahead.”

Troll shrugged and threw the creatures into his mouth. He crunched them up and swallowed them down.

“Humph. That barely makes a dent,” he said. “We’re going to have to do a lot better if we hope to make it out here.”

While Troll sniffed around their camp, Iliff climbed onto one of the logs and surveyed the landscape. If only there were roots to follow out here, he thought. The forest looked more or less the same in all directions, but the floor ahead of him seemed to be rising, if only slightly.

That would be their course.

* * *

Their pace was good that morning. They followed the gentle upslope of the forest, all the while peering about, assimilating more and more of the new world into their sharpening senses. Iliff continued to marvel over the trees, their expansive height and reach, while Troll seemed more intrigued by the low shrubs that tickled past his legs.

Soon gray light began to filter through the canopy, causing Troll to groan and shield his eyes.

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